There are many myths out there about recycling. Check out which are fact and which are fiction here.

Fiction: I have to take all the labels off my jars and cans.

This one is a myth. Recycling technology has advanced over the years, and doesn't require us to remove labels anymore. Metal lids can be recycled as well.

Fact: Most of the plastic put in recycling bins ends up in the garbage.

This one is true , but changing quickly. Sorting plastics is difficult for recycling processors. Bottles can't be separated out with a magnet and small pieces like coffee-cup lids get flattened and mixed. As a result, it's true that most of the plastic we use does end up in landfill sites.

Fiction: Since we have plenty of land for landfills, recycling isn't important. Recycling has many more benefits than simply reducing landfill use: conserving non-renewable natural resources, reducing energy consumption, and reducing the pollution associated with extracting resources from the earth. Moral of the story: keep recycling!

Fact: More than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year.

This is true. Recycle glass because it can be recycled and remanufactured an infinite amount of times and never wear out.

Fiction: The transport carrying the garbage burns more energy and brings more pollution in comparison to recycling production.

Recycling programs do cost quite a hefty amount - almost 60% of the budget of a recycling program is eaten up by the transport that moves around to collect the recyclables. The trucks emit pollution as well, but the cause cannot be neglected for these facts. This pollution can be avoided and energy can be saved if fewer trucks are used and the collecting campaigns are done only twice a year.

Fact: It requires 95% less energy and water to recycle a can than it does to create a can from virgin materials.